Google Maps: Why Can't They Be Preloaded?
I have an idea that this post may well incite a lot of laughter, but it really bugs me a little bit about Google Maps the way it constantly has to download map detail all the time.
I have an 8310 w/GPS, which the Google works well with, so between the Google Maps itself and its interaction with GPS, frankly it works well for the most part. The quirky irritation occurs when you zoom-in (or, less-often, out) of a given spot and, invariably, a delay occurs where Google Maps has to download the detail from the Internet. This inevitably creates lag, sometimes it even times-out if you're in a fringe area.
My question is: why can't Google Maps have the entire US--including zoomed-in detail--preloaded upon installation, so that you don't have to deal with this? My guess is people will say "storage room," but GPS units come with preloaded maps. Do those require, say, 30G or so of space? I would think 2G or so would do it, and with a 4G or 8G card, you'd be okay.
Also, does Google Maps "cache" such detail which has been previously viewed, and is there a way to delete this if you need to prevent memory leak of the device? (Or have it direct it to save on the microSD card instead.) (I know, it's paradoxical to ask about the desire to store everything on the device and also ask how to delete it as well.)